Cast Iron Butterfly

Chapter 5-Hopeless

Chapter 5

Bartley watched as Hazel as his little vixen was named moved expertly around the small hovel that they called their home. He would not put his pigs in such a state, much less a family.

“Papa, here are the medicines for Sarah, please use them with care as I do not know when I will be able to come back. I love you so much,” Hazel said as she flung her arms around her forlorn looking father.  Bartley felt no pity for the man because he would not be losing his daughter to service if he had provided as he should have for the girls.

“As I love you my little elf,” her father said with fear and sadness in his voice.  Sarah had been completely silent since Bartley’s arrival but her glares spoke volumes. He nearly smiled at the sickly little one as she had fire in her spirit as much as her older, stronger sister.

Hazel moved toward her sister quickly with tears in her eyes but willing them not to fall. Hazel gently placed her arms around her sister. “I love you will all of my beating heart,” Hazel whispered.

“Please don’t go with that man he will be awful to you, please let me go as he said,” Sarah whispered back. Hazel brushed the tears from Sarah’s face and turned to face Bartley. Bartley almost wished he did not have to take Hazel now, but a debt has to be repaid. Bartley took Hazel’s arm roughly.

Hazel’s father stood abruptly as if to object to the treatment of his daughter, but thought better of it. “When will she be allowed back home?”

Bartley thought this over. “When your debt is repaid to my satisfaction, ” Bartley exclaimed as he pulled Hazel from her home.

Bartley was shocked at the lack of defiance in Hazel; he missed her talking back to him and challenging him at every turn as she had in the forest.  The lass had been silent all the way to his keep, which was rather boring as it was a long ride.

“You will check in with cook and she will instruct you to your duties, she is in charge of all the maids, you will be no different,” he said briskly to her. She merely nodded as she stepped down from her mount. She was demurely to the keep’s door with her head hung low.

Days had went by and that damn Hazel had been a model maid; doing what she was told and doing it well, even when Bartley was unreasonably demanding. Once he had demanded her to re-wash the windows due to a smudge he found in the corner of one window, the other maid in the room looked at him incredulously as he had never gave two cents what the windows looked like. One glare sent her to another room.

Hazel laid her head down on the soft pillow provided in her private room. Tears streamed down her face, she had tried so hard for the several days she had been here and all the master had done was yell at her and make her re-do work. He was not mean to the other maids or the cook or even the stable boys; only she received his wrath day after day. She did everything to the best of her ability and it was never enough for the man. One maid even hugged her after one terrible incident where he has been especially harsh with her. The maid, Sally, told her that master was not usually this difficult with staff and that all of her work had been exceptional. Hazel felt extremely inadequate in every way in his house. He showed mercy and even kindness to all others in his house all but her. She felt panic hit her like a stone to the face when she realized that in her haste at re-washing the windows today she had forgotten to clean the fireplace in master’s office. She jumped from her bed, quickly pulling her night robe on. She must clean his office or he will put her through the ringer for sure tomorrow; she would not put it past him to actually punish her with the whip or a beating. She rushed through the damp, dark hallways to his office, she held her candle carefully as to not drop it or extinguish it. The fireplace in his office was still going, giving a faint glow to the room. She sat her candle down on the entry table and began clearing clutter and restacking parchment paper neatly. Grabbing the broom from the closet in the room she began sweeping the floor. She went to sweep the wood scraps from in front of the fire place when his deep timber scared her to the point of dropping the broom to clutch at her chest as she spun to face him.

“Decided you would skip cleaning my office today did you?” he said as he stood to tower over her. AS she recognized him she turned her face down in shame as he had her figured out. Bartley was entranced by the vision of loveliness before him. Hazel was alone with him in his office wearing no more than probably her night shift and robe if he was to guess of the underneath of the robe. It irritated him when she dropped her face in shame. “Do not drop your gaze from me, girl.”

Her face jerked up and he saw it there; the fire deep within her. It moved his passion as well. He stepped closer to her until there was but a hairsbreadth between them. He needed to taste her lips. His face dipped and captured her lips in a crushing kiss. Just touching her lips with his drove him to madness. He grabbed her around her waist and crushed her to him. She was soft and pliant, but her lips were just as demanding as his.